NADA’s presence helped us win National title, says Calicut University’s sports head

Calicut University wins overall team title at National men's inter-university athletics championships, thanks to presence of NADA. Athletes using steroids & doping a major problem in AIU meets.

The presence of the National Anti-Doping Agency at the National men’s inter-university athletics championships, which concluded in Chennai on Sunday, was a big reason for Calicut University winning the overall team title there, says Sakeer Hussain, the university’s director of physical education.

“We are winning the title after 12 years and the big difference this time was the presence of NADA. We would have won the women’s title also had NADA been present during the recent women’s National varsities championship in Bhubaneswar,” said Sakeer, the Calicut University’s sports head, in a chat with The Hindu on Monday.

“Many athletes are using steroids. My students said many rooms were full of syringes. We need NADA in all inter-university athletics meets in future because after these meets, most of them get into Indian camps...if they test positive, that will affect the national federation (AFI) or the Indian team. Doping is a major problem in AIU (Association of Indian Universities) meets.”

Incidentally, The Hindu’s report about the presence of syringes and vials in stadium washrooms during the women’s varsities Nationals in Bhubaneswar, held before the men’s Nationals, had forced the NADA to test athletes in Chennai.

Sakeer also said having the camp in three stages and specialised combined training for relay teams at the university’s headquarters also helped Calicut in a big way at the National meet.

Xavior Poulose, a Kerala Sports Council coach attached to Thrissur’s St. Thomas College who went with the Calicut University team to Chennai, felt the varsities meets should be organised in a better way.

“The AIU meets are not being conducted in a proper way. We had the South Zone meet two days before the all-India championship. Nobody cares about the athletes or their welfare.